Who We Are (And What Makes Us Different)

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We're Taite Westendorf and Bassel Khalaf, and between us we have 36 years of criminal defense experience. We started this firm to give people facing criminal charges what they actually need: honest advice, real trial experience, and lawyers who know how to fight back. We know how the system works, we know what actually matters in a criminal case, and we're not interested in the marketing BS that dominates this industry. We've spent decades in the trenches, appearing in court almost every single day, learning how to actually win cases when it counts. We've seen it all, tried it all, and we know what works and what doesn't.

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Why We Don't Care About "Awards" and Why You Shouldn't Either

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You won't find us plastering our website with "Top Lawyer" badges or "Best Attorney" awards. Those are marketing gimmicks, not earned. We'd rather show you the receipts: our actual case results, actual trial transcripts, and a track record that speaks for itself. If someone claiming to be a "top-rated" attorney can't show you proof of their trial and motions work, they're probably full of it.

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The Public Defender Background (Why It Matters)

 

Here's something most people don't understand: being a public defender is one of the best training grounds for criminal defense. You handle more serious cases in a year than most private attorneys handle in their entire careers. You don't get to cherry-pick easy cases or turn down the tough ones. You get murders, rapes, armed robberies, the whole deal. And you try them. A lot.​ We cut our teeth the hard way, and it made us better lawyers. Now in private practice, we keep our caseloads at approximately 50 cases total between both of us, which means every client gets the kind of attention they deserve, not the assembly-line treatment.

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What We Actually Do

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We handle criminal cases in Virginia Beach and throughout Hampton Roads, including Norfolk, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Newport News, Hampton. If you've been charged with a crime in this area, we've probably handled dozens (or hundreds) of similar cases.

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We don't specialize in just one type of case because criminal defense doesn't work that way. But that doesn't mean all cases are the same. Far from it. Drug cases often turn on Fourth Amendment suppression issues where we fight to get illegally obtained evidence thrown out. Murder and malicious wounding cases frequently involve self-defense claims and nuanced arguments about malice and intent. Gun and drug possession charges raise issues of constructive possession and forensic evidence. Sexual assault cases demand intense credibility battles and careful parsing of forensic findings. What makes us different is that we've handled all of these types of cases. We've tried them when the stakes were at their highest. And we've won all types of cases when everything was on the line:

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• Murder and manslaughter

• Rape and sexual offenses

• Malicious wounding, unlawful wounding, assault

• Drug possession and distribution (cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, meth, pills, marijuana—you name it)

• Gun charges (possession by felon, brandishing, concealed weapon)

• DUI and reckless driving

• Robbery and burglary

• Domestic assault

• Juvenile charges

• Probation violations

• Criminal appeals

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The Trial Experience That Most Lawyers Don't Have

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Let's be blunt: many, maybe even most criminal defense attorneys have very little actual trial experience. They'll market themselves as "aggressive trial lawyers," but the reality is they don't have the chops to fight back when the moment calls for it. That's a problem, because prosecutors can smell that from a mile away. If you've never taken a case to trial or filed a killer motion that torpedoes the prosecution's case, you have zero leverage in the courtroom.

 

We've secured not guilty verdicts in jury trials involving murder, rape, multiple counts of sexual battery, forcible sodomy, malicious wounding, robbery, assault on law enforcement, firearm charges, and more. And we publish the actual trial transcripts on our website to prove it. Why does this matter? Because preparing every case like it's going to trial, whether it actually goes to trial or not, is what gets the best results. It's what gives you leverage in negotiations. And if your case does go to trial, you need lawyers who've been there before and know what they're doing.

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Appellate Work (The Other Thing Most Lawyers Don't Do)

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Most criminal defense attorneys have never done appellate work. Why does that matter? They don't know which trial objections preserve issues for appeal, or which legal arguments hold up under scrutiny. We do. We both have significant experience in the Virginia Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court of Virginia. We've drafted briefs, argued cases, and successfully overturned convictions on appeal. That means we understand not just trial work, but the complex legal issues that can make or break a case on appeal. That appellate experience makes us better trial lawyers. We know how to preserve issues at trial, how to draft appellate briefs, and how to argue in front of appellate judges. We're not just thinking about winning today, we're thinking about protecting your case at every level.

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How We Work​

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When you hire our firm, you get two lawyers for the price of one. Every case is reviewed and prepared by both of us. We strategize together, we prepare together, and if your case goes to trial, we almost always try it together. This isn't a situation where you hire one lawyer and get stuck with their inexperienced associate. You get both of us, with 36 years of combined experience, working on your case.

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We're Honest (Even When It's Not What You Want to Hear)

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Some lawyers will tell you what you want to hear just to get hired. They'll promise amazing results, or tell you your case is "easy." We don't do that. We'll give you an honest assessment of your case, the good, the bad, and the ugly. We'll explain what's realistically achievable and what isn't. We believe you deserve to know the truth, even if it's difficult to hear.

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Strategy Over Bluster

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A lot of lawyers market themselves as "aggressive." That's meaningless. Good criminal defense isn't about being loud or obnoxious. It's about strategy, preparation, and knowing the law and the evidence better than the other side. Sometimes the best move is a motion to suppress. Sometimes it's a trial. Sometimes it's accepting a favorable plea agreement. We analyze every case individually and come up with the strategy that gives you the best possible outcome.

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Flat Fees (No Surprises)

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We charge a flat fee for most cases. That means you pay one price, whether your case gets continued four times, requires extensive motion work, or goes to trial. We never want money to be a factor in your decision-making. The only potential additional costs would be for a jury trial (which we discuss upfront) or expert witnesses if needed.

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Real Results (Not Marketing Fluff)

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We publish actual trial transcripts on our website. Not cherry-picked quotes. Not vague descriptions. Actual transcripts showing us in action. You can read them and decide for yourself whether we know what we're doing. We've secured not guilty verdicts after jury trials in cases including murder, involuntary manslaughter, rape, multiple counts of aggravated sexual battery, forcible sodomy and abduction, malicious wounding, unlawful wounding, assault and battery of law enforcement, and possession of firearm by convicted felon, among others. We've gotten charges dismissed on successful suppression motions. We've successfully argued appeals. We've negotiated countless favorable plea agreements. And we've helped thousands of clients navigate the worst moments of their lives.

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What to Expect If You Call Us

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We offer free consultations. When you call, you'll actually talk to one of us, not a secretary, not an intake person, but an actual attorney. We'll listen to what happened, ask questions, and give you an honest assessment of your situation. We'll explain what you're facing, what your options are, and what we think the best strategy is. We'll tell you what we can realistically accomplish and what we can't. And if we're not the right fit for your case, we'll tell you that too.

 

We know that choosing a criminal defense attorney is overwhelming. There are a lot of lawyers out there making big promises and charging big fees. Our approach is simple: we let our work speak for itself, we treat clients with respect, and we fight like hell when it matters.